The City of Vanport and its Struggle with Racism Before and After the Flood of Vanport

It destroys everything that way. It destroyed thousands of houses, destroyed many lives, and ended the lives of a few people. It is called Vanport Flood. On Sunday, May 30, 1948, the Columbia River flooded the town of Bambit with residents without any warning. Stuart Mcelderry describes road taxation as taxation in his article "Von Walter's conspiracy and social relationship in Portland from 1940 to 1950". In 45 minutes, 18,500 people in the whole city were under a few feet of water and walked all the way.

When it was named on December 12, 1942, Vanport became the second largest city in Oregon with a population of 42,000. I did not intend to settle forever, but from that extent you can use homely facilities such as hospitals, fire departments, police, cinema, and our own school system. Vanport School is the first school in the state where black and white students hire a black teacher by learning and exchanging together. This is not perfect. I remember Charles Sutton, a white dweller who grew up in Vanport, "there is discrimination". "But there is always a white child working for them." environment

The shipyard town of Vanport - the blackest inhabitant in Oregon - was flushed in the afternoon

Unification of efforts during wartime weakened racial disparity and gave new opportunities to women and colored people, but Vanport is far from being a vulgar utopia. Cities are isolated, white people live in specific areas, blacks make up about 20% of the population, and live in other areas. Portland is a city known for its smallest ethnic diversity, and they seemed worried when the nearby Vanport began filling the black shipyard. Mayor Earle Riley warned that "Portland can absorb only a minimal amount of negros without compromising the normal life of the city."

The shipyard town of Vanport - the blackest inhabitant in Oregon - was flushed in the afternoon

If you do not know what Vanport is, you are not alone. On paper, it looks like a maxi style magical realism. For 11 days in 1942, the Portland Housing Authority built a city from scratch to build a battleship at Caesars shipyard. These ships will help to ensure the freedom we are enjoying now. Vanport (Vancouver + Portland) has become the second largest city in Oregon. Among the 40,000 inhabitants of this planned community, there are 6,000 African Americans, many of whom are from isolated southern and are seeking a better life. Their arrival has tripled the black population in this area. Vanport is one of the earliest integrated communities in the United States, the largest public housing project in wartime.